Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #8880 in Kitchen & Housewares
- Brand: Imusa
- Model: GAU-18200
- Released on: 2008-04-26
- Dimensions: 10.50" h x
10.50" w x
10.50" l,
4.95 pounds
Features
- Recipe Included
- Milk Frother
- 4cup glass carafe with handle
IMUSA GAU-18200 Elecric Espresso / Cappuccino Maker with Milk Frother 4-Cup, Black
Product Description
IMUSA GAU-18200 espresso/ cappuccino maker is perfect for fresh espresso or homemade cappuccinos
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
86 of 89 people found the following review helpful.
I'm no barista, but this thing's great!
By Dick Whiting
I ordered this to replace a Bialetti stove-top maker. I have had it a couple of months and it is great. I saw some reviews about some machines within this price category being flimsy and unreliable. The Imusa is terrific. Easy to clean (Bialetti was awful!), and makes up to a quad in under 5 minutes. It is lightweight, but sturdy; and makes thick rich foam, even with skim milk. I am a former chef and have had some fancy machines that cost thousands of dollars in my kitchens, Imusa gets it done for me at home. I even went back and ordered a second as a gift.Adding on to this review: If you haven't been using your old espresso/cappuccino maker because it isn't easy, or a pain to clean up, then this is the machine for you.
55 of 57 people found the following review helpful.Very good espresso machine
By Timothy D. Williams
I'm going to start out stating I am no barista.But I love coffee and simply don't like paying $4+ a cup and inconveniencing myself in the morning making an out-of-the-way, time-consuming stop during my commute.That said, this is my first espresso machine. As with many things I don't know if I'll ever use again, I purchase the absolute cheapest low-end model, and if I like it, I research and splurge (or ask Santa.) I feel I really lucked out with this machine since it cost half of other machines I was looking at, and it works. I followed the directions (and a youtube) and with some trial and error (actually only the first try was really bad) I am able to make espresso mocha's in the morning for my wife and I.I've gotten so good at it that I can make two cups with ~2 shots each, a squirt of chocolate syrup each, about 10oz steamed milk, and clean it all up in under 10 minutes.Notes and experiences about this machine:-When you first receive the machine, fill and drain the machine numerous times with hot water (by filling and turning the entire machine upside down.) Mine had a bunch of metallic flakes inside the steam chamber left over from manufacturing. These could definately clog the machine or worse, end up in your espresso.-Use mildly fine grounds and tamp softly. I wasn't getting any crema until I used a burr grinder on a medium-fine setting. This machine has NO control over the brew group pressure, so the only way to control extraction is with the grounds and tamping pressure. I was using too fine of grounds for the first week or two and was getting weak extraction. If tamped too hard the grounds overheat and the extraction is bitter. Ideally each shot should take 20 seconds.-The control dial has a "dead zone" where steam continues to come out, but the boiler is off. It is between OFF and LOW STEAM settings. This allows you to safely release pressure in the boiler chamber when you're finished. Never leave the machine sit with pressure in it. The instructions don't mention anything about this 'hidden' setting, but you will find it and use it every time you use the machine for one reason or another.-Tamping the grounds is important. At first I used my fingers. Then a spoon. Finally I got a tamper. All of them were effective but a tamper makes me feel like a pro and its definately the fastest/easiest. 50mm is a good fit. Not perfect, but good enough; in reality its probably a 51mm or 52mm.-Don't use the rubber guard for the frothing wand. It's hard to clean. Not just hard, impossible. Also, if not removed and cleaned after every use, it will for sure trap bacteria; it obviously needs to be removed to clean your frothing wand, which you want to clean while its hot so stuff doesn't cake on it, defeating the entire purpose of protecting you from burns since you need to deal with the hot wand, anyway. Just throw this thing away.-Clean it while its HOT. I rinse and wipe everything right after a session. The steam wand, grounds cup and locking cup, the collection cup and the waste tray all rinse clean with no soap when they're hot. The steam wand takes about 10-15 seconds of wiping to get milk residue off; everything else takes a few seconds.
47 of 49 people found the following review helpful.One great little machine
By Coppermoon
For the money, this is one great little machine. It heats quickly, foams the milk easily and promptly, is easy to clean up, and looks cute on the counter. This is our fourth (and least expensive) cappuccino maker - it is also the best.
This Page is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com
CERTAIN CONTENT THAT APPEARS ON THIS SITE COMES FROM AMAZON SERVICES LLC. THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE OR REMOVAL AT ANY TIME.
